


you're the universe I'm helpless in

by spidergaybe



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Adora (She-Ra) Wants To Be An Ostrich, Adora Needs Therapy (She-Ra), Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Conversations, BALLET DANCER ROGELIO, Dancer Catra (She-Ra), Dancing Gays, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, Jock Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Disaster Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Disaster Catra (She-Ra), Multi, NOW THAT'S A GOOD TAG, This is my first fic so please don't kill me, a little bit of angst but mostly fluff, also kinesiologists my bad, and they were dance partners, dance au, idiots to lovers, kind of, no beta we die like men, seriously someone hug this poor soul, sorry idk how college works, they're in the same dance class
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26158297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spidergaybe/pseuds/spidergaybe
Summary: Adora had to pick a class and thought dance would be an easy one. It's actually harder than she thought, but with a lot of effort, she can do this on her own. And that's what she will do.That's what she thought before meeting a certain Latina dancer that offers to help her out.How could she possibly say no?
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow & Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 151





	1. love is just another leap of faith

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, I'd like to say that I have no idea how dance works because I don't dance. Sorry for any mistakes about it and also college and kinesiology. I should have definitely written a fic about something I actually know.  
> Anyways, enjoy the fic (and leave a constructive comment so this can be actually enjoyable in some level).

“C’mon Adora, you can’t be serious.”

Adora rolled her eyes, still focused on the road ahead of her. Glimmer had been laughing non-stop for the whole ride, and Adora would’ve been seriously offended if it wasn’t for a small part of her brain that wholeheartedly agreed with her.

“Well, I am!” The blonde’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, frowning and pouting to maintain the outraged facade. Her voice was high pitched with doubt and hopefully Glimmer wouldn’t notice. But, of course, she noticed, because she is not an idiot and Adora can’t act to save her life.

The shorter girl scoffed in disbelief. “Yeah, yeah, totally believe in you,” she cocked an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “Do you seriously think this is a good idea?”

Adora softened her expression. “Yeah, I really do,” she said honestly. "I had to pick a class, Glimmer. This one is my best shot."

“Adora, you don’t dance.”

“But I’m in that class to learn, right?” The blonde replied, and her train of thought wasn’t wrong. Though, she did sign up for the advanced dance classes. And Glimmer definitely had a point. “Besides, dance can’t be that hard. I’m a fast learner, y’know?” She said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Glimmer shook her head, clearly giving up. “There’s no way in hell I can change your mind, is it?” She sighed. “Well then, go ahead. But please, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Adora grinned and shot a thankful glance towards the girl, who huffed in annoyance but actually grinned back. Glimmer felt her phone vibrate in her purple bomber jacket’s pocket and sparkled (more than usual) when she read the text message.

“Bow said the lunch is ready!” She said excitedly. Adora sighed in relief.

“Thank god, I’m starving.” The driver said, eyes glued to the road. Thankfully, the apartment the three of them shared wasn’t far. “Tell him we’ll be there in 5.”

As Glimmer started to ramble about whatever happened that week, Adora’s mind spiralled back to her previous decision. She knows she shouldn’t be overthinking about it, but she couldn’t help herself. What if she makes a complete fool out of herself? What if she doesn’t learn how to dance at all? What if she gets a terrible grade because she made a fool of herself _and_ didn’t learn how to dance? 

Her thoughts wandered between different what ifs (noting that they were very prone to actually happen) but, probably for the first time in her life, she stopped caring. She was in great shape, had a good balance, and a great determination to get this right. She totally got this.

* * *

She didn’t get this.

Actually, in her first week of classes, Adora did surprisingly well. Dancing was way harder than she thought it would, but she wasn’t a complete disaster. She just got completely worn out by the double effort she had to put to do something reasonably good. And that made the week twice as long too.

And boy, that week was _long_.

The blonde had three weekly dance classes that drained the life out of her body, plus the theoretical classes, soccer practice on the other two days, and her daily gym hours. She was physically and mentally tired, and when she got home on friday after gym, she went straight to her room and took a very much needed nap. A nap that lasted until saturday morning.

This wasn’t exactly what she thought it would be. Adora knew she had to put a lot of effort since _she never danced before and had the world’s most stupid idea_ , but that was way more than she expected. Looking at the brightside, she now knows to never underestimate dance.

Despite her tiredness, Adora was actually hopeful. She did have a chance at getting a good grade in this and she was not going to waste it. Even if it means she’ll sleep for a month after.

Adora sighed, entering the dance room. It had been renewed a few months prior, so the sprung floor and wall mirrors were still pretty untouched. The students that had arrived were stretching and talking to each other, unbothered by Adora’s presence. She had changed her clothes to gray yoga pants and a white tank top, putting her hair up in her signature ponytail. She tossed her duffle bag in the corner and started stretching too until her teacher entered the room.

She did her best to pay attention to whatever he was talking about, but her mind began to wander and she started to think about anything except the class. She shook her head at these thoughts and grabbed her water bottle. Maybe she could drink her lack of focus away.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening and a smooth, raspy voice apologizing for being late. When Adora turned around to see the owner of that voice, all she could see was the most astonishingly beautiful woman she had ever seen right in front of her.

She was wearing maroon yoga pants and a black cropped hoodie, showing the tanned skin of her abs. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy bun, loose strands falling on her face filled with freckles. And her eyes, heterochromatic irises lighting up the room with shades of blue and gold, were easily the most incredible thing in the world.

Adora didn’t mean to stare so intently at whoever had entered the room, but she did. And she also choked on her own water, earning glares from her classmates and a smirk from the heavenly beautiful woman.

_I’m so fucked up_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the fic is from the song Venus by Sleeping At Last and the title of the chapter is from fever dream by mxmtoon. These are great songs, so check them out!


	2. she's a butcher with a smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora gay panics. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not dead I swear. Only inside.  
> It's been a while (a very long while) since I wrote the first chapter. In the first two weeks I had a bad writer's block and after that I couldn't bring myself to write anything. Thankfully, a chocolate croissant, a glass of Guaraná, and a religious october 3rd Mean Girls session brought me back to life. As an apology for disappearing, I'll give you another chapter until tomorrow :) I promise I won't vanish this time.
> 
> By the way, this chapter is mostly dialogue and gay panic. I'm not that good at writing dialogues so yeah.

Adora went out for lunch with Glimmer and Bow later that day. During the entire meal she just stood there, thinking about that woman from earlier and hopelessly trying to hide her blush. But of course they noticed because again,  _ Adora can't fucking act. _

"Okay, who's the girl?" Glimmer asked, clearly running out of patience. "Don't," she cut Adora before she could ramble in denial.

The blonde sighed. “Okay, so… There's this woman in my class and  _ shelookslikeafuckinggoddessandItotallymadeafooloutofmyselfinfrontofher _ . Other than that, no one.” She rubbed the back of her neck, blushing as red as the ketchup in her pizza. Bow and Glimmer squealed in delight at the same time.

“Who is she? What’s her name? Does she dance well? What’s her favorite color? Does she like the beach or do we have to plan your wedding somewhere else?” They shot rapid-fire questions, alternating between them. Adora seriously started to believe they shared the same mind.

“Guys, calm down,” she said, exasperated. “And I’m not marrying her! I don’t know anything about her actually.”

“Except the fact that she’s hot,” Bow remarked. Adora glared at him and furiously took another bite of her pizza.

“Look, I don’t know anything about her yet.” Her best friends smirked at the last word. She blushed again, because apparently her skin was now permanently bright red. “All I know is that I gay panicked in front of her and she probably thinks I’m a weirdo.”

“Gay panicked in front of who?”

Adora’s face went pale. She could  _ hear _ the smirk on that too-familiar velvet smooth voice. She turned around slowly, trying so hard to ignore Glimmer’s obvious looks or Bow’s even more obvious looks.

“Uhm, hey,” she said, grinning sheepishly. The woman had changed her dance clothes to ripped jeans and a burgundy high neck sleeveless crop top. Adora suddenly felt the room heat up. And not for the lack of air conditioning.

“Hey, blondie,” the woman said, still smirking. “I was passing by to say you should keep your staring to a minimum during class. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very endearing. But we can’t afford to be distracted all the time, can we?” She purred those words, giggling at the increasing blush on the blonde’s face.

That’s it. That was the moment Adora died.

The woman grinned smugly. “Also, I don’t want to say you’re bad at dancing, but you’re bad at dancing.” If Adora’s fried brain could show any emotions instead of just gay panic, she would probably be outraged. “Though, I can help you with that. If you want, of course.”

“What?” The blonde managed to say. She was proud of still having the capacity of talking when her whole body was taken by  _ gay thoughts _ .

“I can teach you after class.” The woman grabbed Adora’s phone on the table and typed something there.  _ Why did she leave her phone unlocked?  _ “Text me when you make up your mind.” She said, handing back the phone and walking away. Adora waited about two seconds before yelling at her.

“I’m Adora, by the way.” She earned some glares from the other people at the cafeteria. She couldn’t care less.

The woman turned back, her expression softening a bit. “Catra,” she said with a smirk right before exiting the place. Adora turned back to her best friends, who were giving her knowing looks. 

“Don’t,” she cut them, right before devouring the rest of her pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter is from the song Tear In My Heart by twenty one pilots. This song is one of my personal favorites (and the acoustic version is the cutest thing), so I highly recommend to check it out.


	3. you taste like danger but I feel so safe in your arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora panics over texting Catra because that's something she would do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A BIT LATE BUT HERE WE ARE!!!!! I had some internet problems plus lots of school assignments (I don't have a posting schedule because of this :/). I wasn't planning on writing a whole chapter on this, but the first private lesson is going to be very ~interesting~. Anyways, enjoy the chapter :)

"Should I text her? She told me to text her when I make up my mind. Have I made up my mind yet? Probably not."

Adora was walking in circles in her bedroom, debating with herself whether she should text Catra or not. She laid back down on the bed, huffing in annoyance. Why was this simple thing so complicated?

"Ugh, I'm such an useless lesbian."

"Yes, you are," Bow said, suddenly appearing at the doorway. Adora jumped out of the bed with a yelp.

"Why is everyone sneaking up on me today?!" She rubbed her temples, laying back down on the same position. Bow closed the door behind him and sat beside the blonde, gently touching her shoulder.

"Sorry for that," he said. "But, in my defence, I did stand there for about three minutes without you even noticing me."

Adora groaned in response. Of course she didn't notice. "Sorry. Head empty, only Catra thoughts." 

Bow laughed. "Yeah, I can imagine. But, honestly, I don't see why it's so difficult for you."

"Well," she started, sitting on the bed. "A lot of things could happen. She could be playing a prank on me. If she is saying the truth, why would she even help me? If I say yes, it could be a trap. If I say no, I could possibly lose a chance to learn how to dance and also know her better. Ugh, I hate this." She buried her face in her hands. Bow rolled his eyes (a thing he only did was he was VERY annoyed) and lifted her chin so her eyes could meet his.

"You. Are. Overthinking. This." He said, looking deep into the girl's ocean blue eyes. "You should take up on that offer. And before you start rambling about the horrible things that could happen, think about the basics."

"The basics?" Adora asked, dumbfounded.

"You're a single lesbian and you can't dance." Bow completely ignored her mumbled complaints about it. "She is a hot chick that apparently can dance and also offered to teach you. Privately." He put some serious emphasis on the last word. It would have been very unnecessary to everyone else, but it was Adora whom he was talking to. "You should definitely say yes. If you don't, then I'll do it for you."

Adora sighed and turned away. She hated that he was right. Deep down, she actually liked it. If he had said she shouldn't text Catra, she would definitely do the opposite. "Okay, I'll text her." She looked up at Bow, whose eyes were literally shining in pure glee. "Thanks, Bow. You really know how to handle a lesbian crisis."

"I've known you for a very long time to actually know how to handle those," he laughed and stood up, walking towards the door. "Text her, ok?" 

"Sure thing," she said and he walked out of the room. She grabbed her phone and opened up Catra's number for the twentieth time. For some reason, she wasn't so nervous anymore. Bow really had some magical power when it came to this kind of thing. She typed her first message.

**Adora**

Hey, I wanna have those classes with you.

As soon as Adora typed, she deleted it. It was very creepy. She typed another one.

**Adora**

Hey Catra! It's me, Adora! From the advanced dance classes! You offered to teach me and I accept it!

No, too many exclamation points. She typed once again, sure that it would be the one.

**Adora**

Hey Catra! It's Adora. Is the offer still up?

It was perfect. Not too formal, not too informal, a reasonable amount of punctuation, and also left room for her to either deny or accept (in case she changed her mind  _ again _ ). She grinned proudly and sent the message. Now it was just a matter of time until that gorgeous woman answers.

* * *

Adora was  _ losing her fucking mind _ .

Okay, she was overreacting. Four hours had passed since she texted Catra and no replies. Adora's mind spiralled to every possible scenario, leaving no room for sanity. She would have skipped dinner if it wasn't for the very loud rumbling in her stomach, and that was obviously a very good thing (mostly because she had a diet to follow and muscles to gain). But even during dinner she checked her phone a thousand times for any messages.

She was almost asleep when she heard the unmistakable  _ ping  _ of a new message. She jolted awake and grabbed her phone, her eyes hurting from the bright light in the darkness of her room.

**Catra**

Hey Adora

You interested?

Adora barely typed a "yes" with an unreasonable amount of exclamation points before sending. All her previous anxiety had vanished in a second, bringing a rush of excitement and a feeling of warmth in her chest.

**Catra**

See you on monday ;)

For the first time since she started college, Adora drifted to sleep with a wide grin on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter is from the song Homegirl by King Princess. We don't claim her, but her music is amazing.


	4. gonna change it and make it a world you won't forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> DANCE CLASS DANCE CLASS DANCE CLASS DANCE CLASS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ballet dancer Rogelio RIGHTS!!!! Also, you see that? A limited amount of chapters? This means I know at least something of what I'm doing, which is great. Anyways enjoy the chapter :) (a big one, as a treat)

The weekend passed in a blur. All Adora could think of was the dance class on monday, and she made sure she would be 110% focused on it. She practiced a lot during the weekend so her dance moves could be somewhat acceptable (which she knew they wouldn’t anyways) and researched some professional terms to look like she knew something. It was pretty exhausting, but impressing Catra was far more important than her sleep schedule.

Well, according to anyone else, it wasn’t.

Adora also made sure she would be early for her class. Water bottle in hand, duffle bag on the other, she entered the dance room with both determination and fear for her life. She thought she would have some time to practice her movements before the class started, but her plans had gone to shit as soon as she opened those big mahogany double doors.

All of the students were in the corners of the room, moving to the beat of some random pop song while a group of five students danced flawlessly in the middle of the sprung floor. As Adora put her stuff in the giant pile next to the door, the song stopped and the group received a wild round of applause, moving to the corners and giving space to the next dancers.

And what was Adora’s surprise to see Catra, wearing an unfairly hot outfit, walk to the center with two more people behind her. The guy was insanely tall, with tanned skin and bright green hair, while the brown skinned girl was short and had her brown dreadlocks up in a ponytail, shaved on both sides of her head. The two of them waved shortly to a blonde, scrawny looking boy next to the mirrored wall and he waved back enthusiastically. 

Soon enough, another pop song was blasting in the room. It took about ten seconds for the trio to start dancing and, when they did, Adora’s breath got caught in her throat.

The other dancers were great, amazing even. But the blonde’s eyes were locked on Catra. She moved effortlessly, her moves sharp and smooth at the same time. With every little detail, every roll of her hips and swift movements, Adora got close to dying on the spot from pure gayness. It didn’t help when Catra found the woman in the crowd and  _ smirked _ at her, like she could ever recover from such a thing. 

It only got worse when Catra made eye contact  _ for the rest of the fucking dance. _

Adora was freaking out. Those heterochromatic eyes and smirks would surely be the death of her. She wondered if Bow and Glimmer would put  _ perished from gay panic; such an useless lesbian _ in her gravestone.

The trio made a power pose to finish their dance, a deafening round of applause following suit. Catra walked over to where Adora was standing, smirking proudly and-  _ was that a blush? _

“Hey Adora,” she greeted, drinking a large gulp of water.  _ Oh, she’s just blushing from exertion. Why am I sad about it? _

Adora’s internal monologue was interrupted by her own voice. “Hey Catra. You guys were amazing,” she said, smiling cheerfully. Catra rubbed the back of her neck, almost like she was shy about it. Adora found it adorable.

“Thanks. I honestly didn’t think Lonnie and Rogelio would like this choreography. You know, being a hip-hop dancer and a ballet dancer…”

“Wait, Lonnie is a ballet dancer?” Adora asked. She found it hard to believe that the woman would dance to Brahms or something like that.

“No, Rogelio,” Catra giggled. “He’s one hell of a dancer. Going to Bolshoi next year with a full scholarship.”

“He really deserves it.” As Adora replied, their teacher walked in and began the class. She was disappointed, she really wanted to keep talking with Catra.

“We can chat more after class,” the brunette said, her signature smirk imprinted on her face. Adora lit up again and nodded like a puppy, earning some giggles from the woman.

Her teacher started speaking, and she found her thoughts wandering back to Catra once again.

* * *

It was time.

Adora counted the minutes until the actual class was over. Then she waited for everyone to exit the dance room so she could be alone with Catra. She blushed at the thought, even knowing they were just  _ dance partners _ and they would only be  _ dancing for educational purposes _ and  _ not doing anything else besides dancing _ . 

She breathed slowly, trying to ease the anxiety within her body. Soon she heard light footsteps coming towards her, and lifted her head to see Catra walking with that damn blue crop top. Adora couldn’t help but notice that it emphasized the colors of her eyes.

“Hey Adora,” she said, the smirk never leaving her face.

“Hey,” Adora answered. “Should we get started?”

“Totally,” Catra said, and both women went next to the mirrored wall. “We’ll start slowly, with easy steps to make you have some kind of rhythm.”

Before Adora could express her indignation, the brunette rolled her hips in an incredibly suggestive way. It made Adora blush furiously and lose any resemblance of heterosexuality she still had. Catra moved a little more seductively and said some words the blonde couldn’t hear amongst her thoughts.

“Huh?” She asked, her face as red as a tomato. Catra had the nerve to smirk all the time, because  _ of course _ she knew what she was doing. Adora did a mental facepalm to herself.

“It’s your turn, dummy,” Catra couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you with it.”

Adora first tried alone and failed miserably. Catra didn’t laugh at her, surprisingly, and actually helped. The soft touch of her hands against Adora’s waist was enough for the blonde to lose her mind, but for once, she forgot about the gay thoughts. She focused solely on perfecting this one move, trying very hard to pay attention to the move itself rather than how Catra looked while doing it.

It was hard, but not impossible.

The rest of the short time they had went smoothly, with Catra showing some exercises and Adora genuinely trying her best to do it right. Turns out she did quite well, even with, uhm, distractions.

“You’re not that bad, princess,” Catra said while they were drinking water and grabbing their stuff. “I guess I misjudged you.”

“Oh no, you definitely judged me right,” Adora laughed. “I guess I just have a good teacher.” She blushed, thankful for the exertion for hiding it.

“You’re damn right. I think I’m gonna start my own dance academy.”

Adora laughed again and Catra joined this time. They kept talking for a while after, and soon Glimmer was already calling to see where the fuck the blonde were.

“Well, I guess I should go,” she said, trying not to show how dreary she felt about it. Catra gave her another smirk, but softer than the other ones. “Bye, Catra.”

“See ya, Adora,” and she walked out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of the chapter is from the song Kings & Queens by Ava Max. If you haven't checked it out yet, then you definitely should. Also, here's the dance scene with Lonnie and Rogelio if you want to really know what's happening:
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj--hAP_Zo0 (Ava Max - Kings & Queens/Tina Boo Choreography)


	5. I'd meet you where the spirit meets the bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora is stressed and meets a certain somebody at the café.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gets out of the coffin* I'M ALIVE BITCHES  
> Holy shit, I really disappeared this time, didn't I? I'm really really sorry for that. Like, really really really sorry. My mental health wasn't the best in the past two months and I had a shit ton of schoolwork to do. Looking at the brightside, I officially passed this year! Hooray for this lesbian who really can't do math.
> 
> But seriously though, I am so happy to finally come back. I'm not promising I won't disappear again, but I can assure you updates will be more frequent. I have a lot planned (maybe more than 12 chapters? who knows) and I am really excited to write it. This fic is my firstborn and I hope you guys enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing it.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy the chapter :)

Adora sat on the bench, wiping the sweat off her forehead. The soccer coach definitely wasn't going easy on the team that day. Sure, their game against the Horde University was in a week and they still had a lot to work on if they wanted to win. But the exhaustion was definitely taking its toll on Adora.

It wasn't easy to balance every aspect of her life when she was physically and mentally stressed. She wasn't even capable of handling her life when she wasn't stressed, though those times were extremely rare and she never thought much about it. Maybe she _should_ think about it since these habits became very draining, but not this time. There was too much going on for that.

"Hey, blondie! Get back on the field!" Coach Huntara yelled at her from mid-camp, snapping Adora out of her thoughts. She sighed wearily and jogged to her position in the net, putting her gloves back on the way. Her mind was still foggy for the rest of the training match (not enough to make her miss the ball though, not even once). 

When the soccer training was over, Adora drove back to her apartment. A heavenly smell hit her nostrils and her stomach churned, showing how hungry she truly was. When she entered the apartment, she was surprised by the sight of Glimmer doing the cooking.

"Wait, is it really you doing the cooking? And the kitchen is not on fire?" Adora asked while taking off her shoes.

"Good to see you too, Adora," Glimmer laughed. "Yes, I'm doing a recipe my mom and I used to do when I was younger. She isn't a good cook either so I figured it was an easy task." She explained.

"I was surprised too when I saw her there," Bow said, walking out of his room. "Had the firemen on speed dial the entire time." The three of them laughed and then a comfortable silence settled. That was until Bow broke it. “How was practice?” He asked Adora.

Adora groaned and dropped on the couch. "Exhausting. Still don’t know how people think goalies don’t do much.” She laid back and sighed. “I didn’t have my head in the game too, which wasn’t too much of a problem, but still.” She lowered her head and fiddled anxiously with the hem of her shirt. Bow and Glimmer shared a concerned look before the latter approached her cautiously.

“Are you okay?” Glimmer asked, putting a comforting hand in the blonde’s shoulder. Adora wanted to tell she was tired and needed a break from everything: how anxious she was about the dance classes, how goddamn stressed out she was when it came to the crushing expectations everyone put on her. But something in the back of her mind told her to bottle it up. It’s not like her friends can change any of this, right? She _has_ to do all of this on her own.

That’s why she told her roommates she was fine and just a bit tired from the intense training. They were still worried about her, but soon enough the three of them were all laughing and eating the surprisingly delicious dumplings Glimmer had made. When they all got ready to sleep and Adora was alone in her own room, all of those thoughts came back to haunt her. She laid on her bed, eyes open wide in the darkened room, and sighed once more.

She put herself into this. She might as well get out of it all by herself.

* * *

When Adora woke up that morning, she didn’t know her day would be so draining. Like, _really_ draining. She was kinda off in all of the classes, except for one. Somehow, dance classes were always the part of her day that made her truly happy. And it had _nothing_ to do with the hot Latina that happened to be her partner, okay? Strictly professional, they were. And catching feelings for your dance partner is _so_ not professional.

She, once again, decided to shove all these thoughts aside and entered the Whispering Woods café. It was a cozy café near the campus run by an old lady named Razz. She wasn’t exactly the most normal person on Etheria, to put it lightly. But she was very sweet and baked the best berry pies Adora had ever eaten, so that was a very good reason to keep going there.

Also, Adora’s older sister worked there. And she was really cool.

“Hey, little sis,” Mara greeted with a smirk, leaning on the cash register. “What brings you here in this fine afternoon?” Adora rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly.

“Hey, Mara. Care to take my usual order? Or do I have to call Hope and she’ll make you do your job?” 

Mara feigned offense, “LIttle Adora is eager today, huh?” She smiled while fumbling with the cash register to get the blonde’s change. “Get yourself a booth, kiddo. Your order is coming right up.”

“Thanks, Mara,” Adora smiled and went to the nearest booth on the left. The one she always went with her friends, her sister, or especially alone. Something about that booth (about the whole café, actually) screamed magical. It was really nice.

Then she heard the bell ringing and her heart stopped.

Catra entered the café, looking beautiful as ever in her mom jeans and cropped black hoodie. She ordered her food and they made eye contact for a brief moment.

“Hey, Adora.” She smirked.

Adora blushed and smiled awkwardly. “Hey, Catra. Wanna take a seat?”

“Sure.” She sat there and they did some rather awkward small talk for a while. Adora’s stomach was doing backflips and her mind just decided not to work this very specific time. It really didn’t help her situation when Mara came with their orders.

“Enjoy your meal ladies,” she smirked and then assumed the I’m-your-older-sister-and-it’s-my-legal-duty-to-embarrass-you-as-much-as-I-can pose. “Hey, Adora. Who is your _friend_ here?”

Adora coughed a bit and blushed. “Uhm, yeah, so,” she started. “Mara, this is my classmate Catra.” She sighed. “Catra, this is my sister, Mara.”

Both women looked absolutely delighted to meet each other. “I didn’t know Adora had a sibling, let alone one who worked so near the campus.” She smirked, but far softer this time. She held out her hand, which Mara took contently. “It’s really nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” the brown-eyed woman said, grinning widely at the sight of a very embarrassed and quite amused Adora. She clapped her hands. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Have a nice day, ladies.” And then she went to her place behind the register (Adora didn’t notice, but Mara watched both women like a hawk for the rest of time they were there).

“So,” Catra started with a smirk. Adora squirmed a little in her seat. “Your sister is quite different from you. In more ways than one.” 

Adora smiled faintly. “Yeah, I’m not her sister by blood. That must explain some things.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, my mom married her dad after my own dad’s passing.” Adora didn’t know why she was telling this. Something about the way Catra looked at her, earnest and open and surprisingly not judgemental at all, made her feel comfortable enough. That voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to shut down but, thankfully, Adora didn’t listen to it. “I don’t know much, all I know is that they died in a car crash when I was really young.” She sighed. “We both were foster kids for a while. Then, she aged out and became my legal guardian.”

Catra seemed to be taken aback by all of this information. “Oh, wow, I’m really sorry to hear this.” She softened her expression in a sympathetic way. “You know, I was in the foster system too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Catra laughed a bit. “It wasn’t nice. I’m sure you know what I mean with that.” And Adora knew very well. She nodded in acknowledgement. “I didn’t get adopted, though. Stayed in the same shitty foster home with the same shitty foster parent until I aged out.” She flinched at the mention of her foster parent. Adora instinctively reached out and held the brunette’s hand, who jumped with the sudden touch. Adora immediately started apologizing for it.

“Relax, Adora. It was nothing,” Catra said, reaching out to hold the blonde’s hand. She shrugged and blushed (Adora was fairly certain it was a blush, but still had some doubts). “I guess I’m not that used to be so open. Even with my closest friends.”

Adora smiled and squeezed her hand. “Well, if you want to talk to someone who was in your shoes before, you have my number.” Now Catra _really_ blushed. Adora’s smile grew even wider.

“Thanks,” the brunette said. Opal-amber eyes stared into sky blue ones, and Adora, once again, got lost in their depth and complexity.

Adora wouldn’t admit to herself, but Catra did something to her. Something no one else could do. And she really liked it, even if she didn’t know at that time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, soccer goalie Adora rights. She is a goalie here because 1) I have never seen a fic where she is one and 2) I was a goalie in middle school and it's the position I know best. Also, I know firsthand how exhausting it is to be the goalie AND the team captain (spoiler: it is very exhausting).
> 
> Second, I hope Adora's backstory and feelings didn't come out of the blue. I just have this feeling that she would open up to Catra in a café downtown. Don't ask about it.
> 
> Third, Mara. That's it. She's a queen.
> 
> And last, as usual, chapter title from ivy by Taylor Swift. Also, listen to evermore. It's a true masterpiece and everyone should listen to it. Yes, I'm threatening y'all.
> 
> (p.s.: maybe,,,, just maybe,,,,, you'll get a new chapter by tomorrow,,,,, and I'm not kidding because I already wrote half of it,,,,,, just maybe)


	6. but I hope that I'm able to be all that you need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Etheria X Horde game happens, Adora has crippling anxiety, some Glimbow for the soul, and ~chemistry~
> 
> tw: some crying because of ✨insecurities✨ that could potentially be read as a mild panic attack. idk if it really needs the tw but it's better safe than sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay I won't promise anything from now on. because I don't trust myself with this shit.
> 
> I'd like to say that I love soccer but I can't describe it at all. sorry for that. also, I didn't write the cHeMiStrY monologue part because I ain't a dancer. I asked a friend of mine who actually is. if it's anything wrong, that's on them.
> 
> anyways, enjoy the chapter :)

"Alright, people, let's talk about _ chemistry _ . Real chemistry between two or more partners cannot be created, once it's a bond that is very difficult to describe precisely. Some say it's when you and your partner genuinely smile during the routine, others say it's when everything flows more smooth that it would be with someone else. We don't know exactly what it is, but what we do know is that it really exists, and also plays a very important part in couple choreographies. And, for the sake of the chemistry that needs to  _ be _ there instead of being manufactured, I'll let you guys choose your partners for the last assignment of this course, which is to come up with a duo choreography  _ with _ a partner or two. Yes, I know you still have months to think about this assignment, but the chemistry must be real. And that means you should practice with your partner rather regularly. I have seen some of you dancing with each other and I must say you all have the real thing here. So, let's make the best out of it. Class dismissed."

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, Adora knew she was pretty much fucked. Chemistry? Seriously? How the hell would she find a partner who-

"Hey, Adora."

Adora looked at Catra, who was standing right in front of her with crossed arms and the Signature Smirk™ on her face. "Uh, hey, Catra."

The brunette shifted her weight (and blushed, but Adora was most certainly  _ not _ paying attention to the slight sway of her hips to notice that). "I was just thinking about when we are going to practice. If you're free this we-"

"Wait, what? Practice?" Adora asked, very much confused.

"We're dance partners, dummy." Catra said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world (because it was; Adora was the one who had a brick for a brain). "You thought we wouldn't do this assignment together?"

"No! No, I-I thought you," Adora stumbled with her words. She blushed and almost whispered. "I thought you, I don't know, would pick someone who you had chemistry with?"

Catra feigned shock. "You think we don't have chemistry? AAH, NOO, BETRAYAL!" Adora laughed heartily at her overdramatization.

"You think we have chemistry, huh?" The blonde smirked smugly at the brunette, whose face was now a darker shade of red than her crop top. "Aww, I can't believe you like me! That's so embarrassing of you."

Catra laughed. That high-pitched, squeaky laugh that always turned Adora's legs into jelly whether she liked it or not. "This is  _ not _ because I like you." She said before exiting the room and leaving Adora smiling like an idiot.

* * *

Adora woke up early that day. After all, she had a game to win.

She followed her pre-game routine religiously: endless training, healthy amounts of food, and thinking very little about other stuff outside the game. Otherwise her anxiety would take over and that wouldn't be the best thing to happen. People were counting on her to win this game. She would not let them down.

Adora was making her lunch when she heard someone walking out of one of the bedrooms. She turned around only to see a very flustered Bow, who gave her a very awkward smile.

"Uh, hey, Adora," he said while putting a crop top over his binder. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna meet up with Sea Hawk. See ya at the game tonight." And then he grabbed his backpack and exited the apartment.

"Uh, okay?" Adora said with a confused look.

Glimmer walked out of her room shortly after, just as flustered as Bow. "Is he gone?"

"Yeah. What happened with you two? You guys are acting weird." Adora asked.

Glimmer let out a tired sigh and sat on the couch, burying her head in her hands. " _ I kissed him, _ " she said with her voice muffled. Adora quietly celebrated; she had been putting up with their mutual pining since middle school.

"Finally," the blonde said. "Why is that a bad thing, though? I know you liked each other for years."

"Well, maybe you got it wrong," Glimmer said, looking at Adora. "Bow doesn't like me back. If he did, he would be here instead of running away."

"If I remember correctly, you also ran away when he asked you to senior prom," Adora said while making her protein shake. "And then you got mad because he went with Perfuma instead of you."

A blush crept onto the shorter woman's face. "That was different."

"I don't know how it would be different, but okay." Adora said. She smiled softly. "If things are weird between you and Bow now, why don't you try talking to him?"

"Look who's talking," Glimmer snorted. Adora rolled her eyes. "But you're right. I'm gonna talk to him at your game tonight." The pink-haired woman smiled. "Thanks, Adora. Now eat your lunch because you have a game to win today."

The blonde laughed and started eating her food. "Sure thing, Glimmer. We're gonna win this game for sure."

Glimmer's soft smile turned into a smug grin. "Does this have anything to do with a certain dancer who you have a crush on?"

Adora choked on her food, blushing hard. "NO! I don't even know if she's going to the game!"

"Oh, so you admit you want her to be there, huh?"

Adora grabbed her things while Glimmer cackled. "BYE."

"FOLLOW YOUR OWN ADVICE." Glimmer yelled from the couch. Adora blushed even harder, even though her brick brain didn't acknowledge which advice her best friend was talking about, and left the apartment.

* * *

Adora felt her heart pounding out of her chest. Soon, she and her teammates would enter the field and fight tooth and nail for the victory. She couldn't wait for it.

All of her teammates were dressing up now, including her. The vibrant violet jerseys and white shorts were really pretty, and Adora always preferred them over her blinding white jersey and golden shorts. The common thing on all of the jerseys were the golden accents, which made their uniform the prettiest on Etheria (it's basically common sense by now). When the Etheria players entered the field they saw that the Horde players looked the same, like they were all clones of the same white-skinned, platinum-blonde woman. And they were all wearing the same black and neon green uniform, except the goalie. It was lowkey terrifying.

Adora put on her gloves and won the coin flip. When she was jogging to her position, she looked at the bleachers and found Bow and Glimmer holding hands and smiling lovingly at each other.  _ Guess they finally figured their shit out,  _ Adora thought, relieved. She definitely couldn't take more pining from those idiots.

Then, the referee blew the whistle and the game started. And the Horde team was  _ really _ skilled. Adora almost missed the ball a few times, her anxiety only going higher and higher. She calmed down a bit when Etheria scored the first goal of the match in a corner kick, but it came back stronger than before when the Horde players focused more on the offensive and tried more shots on goal. Adora knew it was only a matter of time before she failed herself and everyone else.

Sadly, it was true.

At the end of the first half, an Etherian defender pulled the opponent's jersey, causing a penalty. And then, when the Horde player kicked the ball on the left, she jumped on the right. Adora could swear her heart stopped at the moment the ball hit the net. She couldn't hear the loud cheers over her thoughts.  _ I failed. I failed everyone. _

When the first half was over, Adora ran to the locker room. She wouldn't let anyone see her crying. Even though her teammates said it was okay to make mistakes, she knew they were disappointed at her. She knew she hadn't met their expectations and she knew she had failed everyone. Adora wasn't good enough for them.

The half-time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon the blonde was wiping off the tears on the number 1 jersey she was wearing. She didn't deserve that number. She didn't deserve to be there at all. But then again, she was there. Even if she was going to be kicked out of the team later, she still needed to come back for the second-half. The thought of disappointing everyone even more was hammering in her brain, and she felt like she couldn't do this anymore.

And then, from the corner of her eye, Adora saw her.

_ Catra. _

There she was, in a peach baseball cap and drinking a Slurpee, watching the game from the second row on the bleachers. They made eye contact and she smiled encouragingly, giving Adora the strength she needed to keep going. The blonde would never imagine that the woman would be there.  _ Maybe she's here for someone else,  _ she thought, almost immediately shoving it aside. The thought of Catra being there for someone else did  _ not _ make Adora jealous, okay? She was  _ not _ jealous. Not at all.

She snapped out of those thoughts when the referee blew the whistle and the second half began. It didn't take too long before she got her head fully on the game, finding every bit of strength she had to guarantee the victory. Now that she had found a new reason, she  _ had _ to win. Even if that meant another eighteen hour nap later.

At the end of the game, the striker of the Horde (was it the striker? Adora couldn't say because  _ they all looked the same _ ) dribbled the defender and sprinted towards the goal like a bull seeing a red rag. Adora positioned herself on the goal line, spreading her arms and getting ready to jump on the ball. The opposing player entered the area and kicked the ball, which went to the left corner at a frighteningly high speed. Adora wasted no time and jumped in that direction, reaching out to the limit. And, as if the ball were in slow motion, she defended the net with the tips of her fingers.

A wild cheer took over the bleachers when she fell after her brilliant defense, but the game wasn't over yet. The ball was still on the field and the Horde striker kicked again, somehow even stronger than before. Adora had barely gotten up and she threw herself in front of the ball once again, catching it in her arms. A sharp pain shot through her chest from the sheer force of the kick, but that would easily go away in no time. She kicked it to the center-midfielder and the player passed to the Etheria striker, who scored that much needed goal in the very last move of the game. 

When the referee blew the whistle, a deafening roar took over the bleachers. Adora ran off to celebrate with her teammates, always looking for that peach baseball cap on the second row. Her face fell when she didn't see anyone there. Glimmer and Bow ran to the field and hugged her tightly, which made her better. But she really wanted to find Catra. After all, Adora only had strength enough to keep playing because of her, even if she didn't know that.

"Adora, you were right," Glimmer said, holding her boyfriend's hand. "We really needed to talk our shit out."

"And I'm glad we did," Bow said, giving her a peck on the lips. Adora smiled at how cute they were together.

Glimmer looked at something (someone?) behind Adora and smirked. "It seems like you should talk with someone too, Adora. See ya later." She tugged at Bow's hand and they walked out, smiling and giggling. When Adora turned around, she saw Catra, smirking and still drinking her Slurpee. Adora seriously wondered how much liquid that cup had.

"Hey, Adora," the brunette said. "Great game."

"Thanks," the blonde answered cheerfully. "You know, Wild Cherry is my favourite one."

Catra looked down at her cup. Also Wild Cherry. "Huh. You seemed like a Mountain Dew lover to me."

Adora laughed. "It's because I am."

Catra smiled and fiddled with the straw of her cup. "Hey, Adora?"

"What?"

The dancer blushed and lowered her head. "I was wondering if, you know," she shrugged, "if you wanted to practice tomorrow?"

A blush appeared on Adora's face. And it wasn't the exertion. "Sure, sure."

"Cool. We can practice at my place since my roommate will be on this date or whatever." Catra locked eyes with Adora. "If you want to, of course."

"Yeah, yeah. Text me your address?" Adora asked. She felt her brain frying from the pure gay panic of  _ going to Catra's place and being alone with her _ . It's kinda funny because she usually spent two to three hours a week alone with Catra, but she was freaking out over it. Probably because of the "my place, no roomie" thing.

"I can pick you up?" the dancer said, sounding more like a question. Now Adora was really gay panicking.

"Uh, yeah, sure. I'll, uh, I'll text you my address then." She said, laughing awkwardly. "Uhm, pick me up at 5?"

Catra smirked and started walking away. "Sure. See ya tomorrow, She-Ra."

And, for the first time in the entirety of her time on the Etheria University team, she liked to hear her nickname.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter title from Never Be Me by Miley Cyrus (listen to Plastic Hearts, you won't regret it) because this song emotionally wrecks me. 
> 
> (did anyone notice the references Kiss It Off Me? if you did, tell me in the comments because this song also emotionally wrecks me)
> 
> oh and later merry christmas for y'all :)


	7. take me out and take me home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shit somehow gets gayer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will officially stop saying anything about updates and everything. i just never get it right.
> 
> it took me SO LONG to write this. writer's block, the lion king au, a lot of stuff just came in the way. but thankfully it's good enough. also, idk how it became so fucking big but that's good i guess 
> 
> things get really gay from now on i can assure you.
> 
> anyways, enjoy the chapter :)

Adora paced around her room nervously. It was almost 4:30 and she had yet to find a good outfit for her totally-not-a-date with Catra. She tried her whole wardrobe and settled on a plain white shirt, jeans, and her signature red jacket.

In other words: the same outfit she wears everyday.

The blonde was slowly losing her mind over this. It's not like it was a date, it was a strictly professional, and emphasis on _professional,_ dance practice. They do this every week, for fuck's sake! So why does this one time she get butterflies on her stomach just from the thought of Catra saying her name? Adora didn't want to unpack _that,_ at least not before her date - no, _meeting_ with the brunette.

At the end she decided on the coolest grey sweatpants she had (those Adidas that had the three black stripes on the side; that's the sole reason they were cool), a black sports bra, a loose white tank top, and her jacket. She had just finished her hair poof and ponytail when a notification popped on her phone.

**Catra**

I'm here ;)

Adora grabbed her backpack and practically bolted out of the apartment, only stopping when she saw the black Hyundai parked in front of the building. The driver was leaning on the door, flipping the keys on her hand nervously, and wearing ripped black leggings, a maroon Judas Priest t-shirt with a knot tied in the front, and a red flannel over it. Their eyes met, and the blonde felt the swarm of butterflies coming back with the smile Catra gave her.

"Hey, Adora."

Adora returned the smile and hopped inside the car. "Hey, Catra. Can I ask you a question?" She asked when Catra started driving away from the apartment. The brunette laughed.

"Already did, but sure."

"Do you only wear black and red?" Both of them laughed. "I am serious! I've never seen you wear any other color."

" _You're_ the one to talk? You wear the same jacket literally everyday!" 

They spent the whole ride to Catra's place laughing and joking around. Adora was surprised with how easily the conversation flowed between them; it wasn't like with Bow or Glimmer. Hell, even with Mara it wasn't this easy. But there was something with Catra that just fell right into place, and Adora felt like she could truly be herself with her. No more crushing expectations and imminent failure, no more disappointment and exhaustion; only inner peace. A peace the blonde could only achieve with the gorgeous dancer next to her.

Catra parked the car in the garage, dragging Adora out of her thoughts. The two-story house was fairly big, with brick walls and a brownish red roof. The white trims and pillars had hanging flower pots with different types of flowers. It was hard to see _Catra_ of all people living in such a cute flowery brick house, so Adora figured it was probably her roommate's decor choices. Inside the house everything was pretty much the same, with plain grey and white walls, cute and simple furniture, and lots of flowers pretty much everywhere. The girls tossed their stuff in the living room and were just beginning to stretch when a loud cackling came from one of the rooms. Catra flinched.

"Right," she started, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, I forgot to mention my other roommate, Entrapta. She is really cool and everything, and normally she spends the evening at the campus' lab. I didn't think she was going to be here today."

"Hey, Catra!" Entrapta came out of the room and greeted cheerfully. She was a short woman, with purple pigtails on each side of her head and a maniacal look on her face. A very cute grey miniature schnauzer with a purple collar was jumping happily beside her. "I passed by to grab some tools for my next experiment. I'm going back to the lab now and probably won't come back for the next three days." She stopped when she saw Adora. "Who's your friend?"

"Entrapta, this is Adora. She is in my dance class." Catra looked at the blonde and saw how her eyes lit up when she saw the dog. "Adora, this is Emily, Entrapta's little furry assistant. You can pet her, by the way."

Adora smiled like a little kid and practically jumped on the floor to pet Emily. She waved to Entrapta. "Nice to meet you two!"

"Likewise!" The purple-haired woman stared out the window and squealed in excitement. "Hordak is here already! Bye, Catra! Bye, Catra's friend!" And then she and the dog exited the house to meet a scary looking guy with navy blue hair waiting outside.

"Bye!" Adora said. She turned back to Catra and clapped her hands. "Let's practice then."

Catra looked down, almost ashamed. "I'm sorry for not telling you. I should've but I forgot, and I am so sorry for that."

Adora smiled reassuringly. "No problem. We're here just to practice, after all."

"Yeah," Catra said. She sounded a little bit disappointed, but Adora was probably just hearing things. "Just to practice."

They practiced some moves, alternating between easy and hard ones (and Adora was _totally_ not looking at the way Catra moved her hips; if she did look, it was for purely educational purposes) until they were sweating like pigs. It was nice to just dance and joke around with the brunette, even if it didn't ease at all the butterflies in her stomach. Adora was seriously considering hiring an exterminator to deal with that problem. But in the moment, practicing a move and smiling like an idiot whenever Catra would gently touch her to _position her correctly,_ she didn't mind at all.

"Ugh, I'm gonna take a shower. I'm disgusting," Catra groaned, dragging Adora out of her thoughts once again. The dancer smelled her own armpit and grimaced before heading upstairs. "You can turn on the TV if you want."

"Uh, sure," Adora replied, unsure of what to do. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually decided to practice a little bit more, dancing to the tunes in her head. For once in her life, she just let loose. Just dancing and not worrying about a certain gi- _oh fuck she's staring at me oh fuck she saw me oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck._

"Oh, hey," the blonde waved awkwardly, her face burning up with a mix of exhaustion and pure panic.

"You're doing great for someone who started out a little over two months ago," Catra crossed her arms and leaned on the hand railing. Her damp curls cascaded down her shoulders, and Adora couldn't seem to take her eyes off the brunette.

"I- I have a really good teacher."

Adora could swear she saw Catra's face blush before she turned around. "Wanna take a shower? You're stinking up my living room," the blonde laughed, and the dancer grinned at her. "I think I have some clothes that will fit you."

"Okay," is all that came out of Adora's mouth before she headed upstairs with Catra.

* * *

Overthinking. That's something Adora is very familiar with.

She overthinks _everything._ Etheria's team lost? Her fault for not being quicker. People take a little longer to answer her texts? They hate her guts. Her thai food arrived two minutes late? The restaurant probably doesn't like her. Who knows?

So it's obvious she would overthink this whole _situation_ she found herself in.

How could she possibly not overthink it? She was literally showering at her dance partner's house. And she probably - no, _definitely_ \- had a massive crush on said dance partner. Even worse for her, she would be using said dance partner's _clothes._ If that wasn't enough, she felt like the word _crush_ wasn't enough to describe what she felt for Catra. And she wasn't about to unpack _that_ in the woman's shower.

Adora hopped out of the shower, her mind swarming with too many thoughts on that matter. She entered Catra's room (and her brain insisted on imagining her entering the room in a different scenario, making her blush), seeing it for the first time. It was very different from the overall aesthetic of the house, having band posters literally everywhere and all kinds of things scattered around the floor. Adora smiled at Catra's clear attempt to clean it up for her. On the bed there was a pair of black sweatpants (not as cool as her Adidas though) and a white sweatshirt that read _do you listen to girl in red?_ in bold red letters.

"Yes," Adora muttered to no one. "I definitely do."

She put the clothes and was heading downstairs when she heard the faint melody of a Taylor Swift song coming from the kitchen. Adora was (pleasantly) surprised to find Catra mindlessly humming along to Mine, mixing something up on the stove. It smelled delicious, Adora noticed.

"You listen to Taylor Swift while cooking, huh?" Adora smirked. Seriously, that girl had absolutely zero musical consistency. And honestly, the blonde liked it very much. Catra flinched slightly, startled with the other presence in the room. She was also blushing, which made Adora way too proud of herself.

Catra turned around from the stove, wooden spoon in hand. "Taylor Swift is a music goddess. I might as well like some inspiration during mundane activities such as cooking dinner for a dork." She replied with a smirk. It was Adora's turn to blush.

"I have to say, you're improving really fast," Catra said, turning the stove off. She giggled. "Your dancing, I mean. Your flirting skills, not so much."

The thought of being a fucking ostrich never crossed Adora's mind before, but now it seemed very appealing. What would she give to have the ability to just shove her head in the ground whenever she felt flustered. She tried to formulate a response, but failed miserably. And Catra just laughed more at her.

"You're such an idiot," the brunette grinned softly, wiping tears of laughter.

Adora shrugged, cheeks flushed crimson red. “Yeah, I've been told. By you mostly." Adora turned her face away, so she didn't see the blush creeping up Catra's face. The blonde desperately needed a distraction from whatever this was. "Maybe we could, I don’t know, practice a little bit more?” She blushed even harder, and suddenly the living room floor became a very interesting thing to look at. “Dancing, I mean, it's basically why I'm here. But, you know, only if you want to. We could dance to any song, like, anything, It doesn’t have to _be_ Taylor Swift too, I mean-”

She was stopped by soft hands gently grabbing her waist. Catra had put another song, a guitar-driven ballad that Adora could recognize anywhere. She heard it countless times before, most of them picturing a scene just like the one before her. She is a hopeless romantic after all.

“I’ll take the lead, okay?” Catra said softly, taking Adora’s hands and putting them in her own shoulders. Adora nodded rapidly in response, hoping it could ease the heat on her cheeks somehow.

_We could leave the Christmas lights up ‘til January_

_This is our place, we make the rules_

Swaying slowly to the rhythm, with Catra's hands on her waist, Adora didn’t know how her brain had not short-circuited yet. Thankfully, she wasn’t the one leading. And gods, Catra was good. Adora already knew that, of course. But the way they were dancing, so intimate and spontaneous, made her heart jump out of her chest.

_And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear_

_Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?_

Catra leaned her forehead against Adora’s and stared into her eyes. The blonde felt like those mismatched eyes could see through her soul, and yet, she couldn’t avoid her gaze. It felt so _right,_ to dive inside those ocean blue and amber gold irises and never come back. Catra’s face was close enough for Adora to count every freckle, spread across the girl’s face like the Milky Way in a clear night sky. Her sharp features seemed so soft under the warm lights of the living room, and all Adora wanted to do was hold her and never let go.

_Can I go where you go?_

_Can we always be this close_

_Forever and ever?_

Catra raised her left hand and grabbed Adora’s right hand, tenderly entwining their fingers. They waltzed their way across the living room in a smooth motion, close bodies dancing like they were one and the same. And then, Catra pulled away and raised her left hand above her head with a smirk, cheeks blushing in such a cute way. Adora took the hint and did a fluid turn, grinning sheepishly and blushing just as hard as the other girl. And when they got back to the starting position, Adora was so close. Close enough to feel Catra’s fast heartbeat that easily added to her own. Close enough to smell her scent, a mix of cinnamon, honey, home, and _Catra._ There was something in that girl that was so unique it drove Adora crazy, just like the almost non-existent gap between their lips.

_And ah, take me out, and take me home_

_You’re my, my, my, my_

_Lover_

Catra got even closer, resting her head on Adora’s shoulder. The blonde shut her eyes, trying and failing to stop the wide grin on her face, and leaned her head against the shorter girl. For a moment that could last a lifetime, they stood like this. Dancing slowly, holding onto each other as if they’ve been forever. But then, in a swift (no pun intended) movement, Catra moved Adora away and gently spun her back in. She moved her left hand to the blonde’s upper back and tightened her grip on the waist. Adora put both hands back at Catra’s shoulders, staring intensely at the girl’s heterochromatic eyes. The brunette smirked once again while leaning in ever so slightly, and Adora momentarily forgot how to breathe.

And then, right before the end of the chorus, Catra dipped her. For the briefest of moments, time stopped. A split second, just enough for them to really take in what was happening. A split second where their lips nearly touched, a wave of euphoria, fear, excitement, panic, and another emotion Adora couldn't quite place taking over them. Despite the feelings rushing in, neither of them let go.

"HEY, WILDCAT!" Scorpia shouted from the other side of the front door. Catra and Adora jumped away from each other with a yelp, the first hitting her back on the couch and the second falling on her butt. "Can you open here for me? I can't find the right key, gosh!" She laughed. Catra quickly got up and opened the door with a nervous smile and a furious blush down her neck.

"Hey, Scorp," she waved nervously. "Came back early, huh? How was your date?"

"It was great!" The white-haired woman beamed with joy when she entered the house. "And I came back just when I said I would. I told you Perfuma had other things to do today."

"Perfuma?" Adora suddenly appeared in the doorway, startling both women. She offered a sheepish smile. "Sorry for that. Perfuma and I went to the same high school, that's all."

"You know her?" Scorpia's eyes lit up. "She is wonderful, isn't she? Such a sweet, lovely person."

Catra groaned at the rapid exchange of words between both women and pointed at the blonde. "Scorp, this is Adora, my dance partner." Adora couldn't help but notice the blush that took over the brunette's cheeks when she said the last two words. "Adora, this is my other roommate, Scorpia."

Adora didn't have time to greet the woman properly before she was scooped up into a bone-crushing hug. "It's wonderful to meet you! Catra talks about you all the time."

"Scorpia!" 

When Adora was on the ground again, she smirked smugly. "All the time, huh?"

Catra crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed. "This is not because I like you."

"I didn't say anything," Adora grinned triumphantly before heading back to the kitchen with them.

* * *

Dinner with the girls was probably the best thing that happened in weeks. Scorpia shared embarrassing stories about Catra, Catra shared embarrassing stories about Scorpia, and Adora embarrassed herself like she always does. At the end, the blonde's belly hurt with how much she ate of Catra's delicious food and from the incessant laughter.

It was getting late, and Catra insisted on taking her home. The ride was silent this time. A comfortable silence, those that you only share with special people. And Catra was special to Adora. Way more special than she could ever know. Slowly, Adora's brick brain was putting the pieces together, on what both women were for each other and what exactly she wanted them to be. Slowly but surely, she was figuring out her damn feelings.

Catra stopped her black Hyundai right in front of Adora's building. They hopped off the car and stood right in front of each other. Adora didn't want to go. Not yet.

"Thanks for the invite," she said, not daring to move. Catra didn't move either, staring directly at Adora's eyes. "I had a great time today."

"You're welcome anytime."

"Thanks."

A wave of awkwardness fell over them as they stood in place. Adora found herself leaning in slowly, with Catra doing the same. The swarm of butterflies came back, urging her to just go ahead and kiss the woman. And she was going to do so, if it wasn't for the loud beeping on her phone. Whoever was calling her would have a piece of her mind very soon.

Catra backed away. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna go." She entered the car and started it. "Bye, Adora."

"Bye." The blonde managed to choke it out before the black Hyundai darted away. If Adora learned something that day, it was that Catra was a very reckless driver. The thought made her smile, and then she heard the beeping in her pocket again.

_God fucking dammit, Glimmer._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and they were dance partners
> 
> fun fact: the dance scene was originally written in july 2020 as an oneshot. i decided to make an au around it and here we are :)
> 
> okay so a few things:  
> \- catra has a black hyundai genesis 2010. why? idk i just think it's a nice car and she deserves nice things.
> 
> \- i love projecting absolutely everything onto catra. the judas priest shirt? i have the same. inconsistent music taste? me too sis. listens to taytay while doing literally anything? *puts hand up*
> 
> \- emily being a miniature schnauzer is just. so. CUTE.
> 
> \- cishet cliche tropes but make it GAYER
> 
> \- catra chose that sweatshirt for a reason. just sayin.
> 
> and last, but not least, chapter title comes from Lover by the one and only taytay (obviously)


End file.
